Park safe from the storms and in the lead

Saturday

Jun 28, 2008 at 3:15 AMJun 28, 2008 at 3:31 AM

By DOUG FERGUSONAP Golf Writer

EDINA, Minn. — Angela Park was atop the leaderboard, and Lorena Ochoa was on the golf course trying to change her fortunes when the crack of thunder chased thousands of fans to the exit gates Friday afternoon at the U.S. Women's Open.

Just like last year.

Park gave herself another chance at the biggest event in women's golf, combining a smooth putting stroke with one of the prettiest swings on the LPGA Tour for a 6-under 67 and the clubhouse lead when storms interrupted the second round.

It was the fifth straight year that weather has halted play in the Women's Open, but last year at Pine Needles was particularly messy. The second round wasn't completed until Saturday afternoon, with Park the 36-hole leader. But she couldn't hold the lead and wound up tied for second, two shots behind.

She can only hope the experience will help at Interlachen.

"I keep reminding myself that there are a lot more holes to be played, and anything can happen in one hole," Park said. "From last year, I think I would take a lot more patience and a lot more knowing where not to miss the greens, or where to hit my ball, and to just be patient and just be focused out there."

Park was at 6-under 138.

Helen Alfredsson birdied the par-5 10th hole to reach 6 under when the horn sounded to stop play, and lightning flashed in the gray sky about 15 minutes later.

Park played in the morning under mostly overcast conditions, happy to be finished. She was on the putting green when Ji Young Oh walked by on her way to the 10th, having made four straight bogeys to go from 7 under to the middle of the chasing pack.

Ochoa had played 11 holes, none of them particularly well. She struggled to keep the ball out of the deep grass and was 2 over for her round and the tournament, closer to the projected cut than to the leaders.

Minea Blomqvist, who spent the last few weeks on the Challenge Tour in Europe as a caddie for her boyfriend, showed why she should stick to her day job. The 23-year-old from Finland, who once shot a 62 in the Women's British Open, had a 69 and was one shot behind Park, along with In-Bee Park (69), who is not related to the leader but is her best friend on tour.

Paula Creamer (72) was another shot behind, hopeful this might be the week she finally contends on the back nine of a major. Former Women's British Open champion Jeong Jang had a 69 and joined Creamer at 4-under 142.

Creamer played with Annika Sorenstam, who still had reason to believe she could capture one more Women's Open, even though she continues to struggle with her putting.

Sorenstam had a 70 to reach 1-under 145, still very much in the picture, but the final hole summed up her frustration. She hit 3-wood over the lake, barely over the edge of a bunker and watched it roll up to 5 feet below the cup. Her eagle putt never had a chance, missing wide to the right.

"I think I'm hitting the ball as good as I can," Sorenstam said. "I'm just going to work on a few things with my putter, and I'm really looking forward to the weekend. It has to do with tempo, it has to do with the length of my back swing. It just takes awhile to get that."

Pat Hurst, who shared the first-round lead with Oh, couldn't rely on her putter two days in a row. A day after she played a seven-hole stretch in 6 under, she went 5 over in a five-hole span and spiraled to a 78.

Michelle Wie was holding out hope that she could stick around for the weekend after opening with an 81, which included a 9 on one hole.

The 18-year-old from Honolulu looked solid over nine holes, and took advantage of the 17th hole, among the toughest at Interlachen. The tee was moved forward 36 yards to alter the strategy, and Wie smashed a driver over the bunkers, leaving her a 52-degree wedge to the green on a hole that measured 401 yards. She dropped it in 6 feet away for her lone birdie against no bogeys.

That left her at 7 over, needing three birdies on the front nine to have any chance.

Angela Park is rare in many ways. She has South Korean heritage, was born in Brazil and developed her game in California. When she won the points-based Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year award last season, she gave her acceptance speech in three languages. What also sets her apart is receiving strong praise from tell-it-like-it-is TV analyst Johnny Miller, who raved about her swing last year at Pine Needles.

"Everyone was coming up to me, and they were like, 'You've got the best swing on the LPGA Tour,"' Park said. "He was being very kind. I really appreciated his comment about my swing and hopefully, I'll keep it up this year."

She couldn't keep up with Cristie Kerr in the final round last year, and she might have to deal with the defending champion again.

As Ochoa continued her struggles, and U.S. Women's Amateur champion Maria Jose Uribe dropped two shots over 11 holes, Kerr surged again with a steady diet of fairways and greens, and enough putts to leave her at 4 under.

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